Another week, another delay on the city's proposed vacant housing ordinance.

The Montgomery City Council pushed its vote on Councilman Tracy Larkin's ordinance back until their next meeting, so that elected officials can view new technology the city is unveiling to track vacant properties. The new database — introduced as a coming feature last summer to track state-owned vacant properties — will now compile every vacant structure in the city through different sources, like canceled utilities.

"I know we want this blighted property cleaned up," said Council President Charles Jinright (District 9). "I truly believe that it will solve a lot of the things that we have in here. That information has given me the feeling that we are heading in the right direction."

The Montgomery City Council pushed back a vote earlier this month on Larkin’s ordinance. Council members couldn’t agree on the administrative roll out and effectiveness of the ordinance.

Some believe there are already mechanisms in place to address the issue, though proponents have wondered aloud why they aren't being enforced. Larkin, often critical of the city's efforts to stem blight, has said the vacant housing ordinance has been repeatedly delayed by real estate figures in the community.

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Trash and blight. Two of the bigget problems facing south and west Montgomery neighborhoods.(Photo: Andrew Yawn / Advertiser)

The ordinance

A building is vacant after 90 days without occupancy, though it can be considered “vacant” under many different rules — including fire damage, being a site of vagrancy and utilities disconnected, among other things.

Within 30 days of a structure being considered vacant, owners are required to register it with the city and pay a fee.

That is good for six months before being subject to renewal and can be renewed three times.

Anyone who fails to register their vacant home or has a home that remains vacant for more than 24 months is subject to an administrative fee.

Buildings are exempt if they are undergoing construction, renovation or are currently listed for lease, rent or sale. Religious, educational, charitable and state-owned structures with tax-exempt status would not have to pay the fees.

One of the major benefits of passing the ordinance, according to Larkin, would be the creation of a database of these properties. Some, like Councilman William Green (District 5), expressed skepticism about the ability of the city to compel people to sign up originally.

He, along with Mayor Todd Strange, said this system, whether Larkin's ordinance is passed or not, will create a more complete list.

"I just want to make sure that there is a way to get those properties registered or at least give them a reason to register," Green said.

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City Councilman Tracy Larkin during a Montgomery City Council work session at city hall in Montgomery, Ala. on Monday August 20, 2018. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)

Once that list is created, several council members agreed that they likely need to address the penalties assessed to the property owners. Jinright said it could very well result in a much higher fee when the city is forced to clean up these properties. That fee, he said, would need to be high enough to prevent the abuse of resources taking place.

Strange said they spent $1 million a year to maintain those properties. It was unclear, however, whether he thought Larkin's ordinance would be successful.

"Every time we turned a corner, we found a conflict between what was existing and what we have here," Strange said. "I would still suggest that we all better understand the technology, how it fits into the processes we have in place and then back into whatever fees and fines need to be leveraged."

Larkin, similar to past weeks, bristled at the claims that the city had ordinances or plans in place to address blight issues. The database, if anything, would only act as a supplement to his proposal, he said.

"I don’t buy your proposition of having a process to identify the properties eliminates the need for an ordinance or the registration that we talked about," Larkin said. "I am sympathetic to the idea that we are moving in the right direction, but I don’t think that it addresses the problem."

He also said the conversation strayed too often toward a solution for state-owned properties. Though they are a large portion, official say about half of the city's vacant properties are state-owned, Larkin said they aren't the focus of his ordinance.

The council president made it clear that whatever the group decides, there needs to be decisive action on blight in the city.

"It is a cancer in this city and it needs to be stopped," Jinright said. "Whatever we can do to help him get the job done, we need to do."

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City Council President Charles Jinright speaks during a Montgomery City Council work session at city hall in Montgomery, Ala. on Monday August 21, 2018. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)